On November 9, following a trilateral meeting with the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General María Ángela Holguín, the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and the leader of the Turkish Cypriots Tufan Erhürman agreed to simultaneously open two new crossing points of the buffer zone — between Louroujina and Limnia, as well as between Kampos and Karavostasi. After their opening the number of operating checkpoints will increase from nine to eleven.
As the UN mission in Cyprus reported, the parties also agreed on the exchange of archival materials and the implementation of joint environmental projects. The inter-communal technical committee on crisis management has been tasked with developing a rapid response mechanism for emergencies, and the cultural heritage committee will begin the restoration of a number of Maronite churches and the Armenian monastery Sourp Magar in the north of the island.
In the coming weeks the leaders of the two communities will hold a trilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
🎙 In a conversation with TASS the Ambassador of Russia to Cyprus Murat Zyazikov welcomed the agreements reached under UN mediation and noted progress in the implementation of confidence-building measures between the communities.
💬 “Today’s agreement on the simultaneous opening of two new checkpoints on the island will help simplify the movement of both local residents and tourists between the territories of residence of the two Cypriot communities. This step will allow diversifying travel routes around the island, facilitate movement between the south and north of Cyprus and activate contacts between the communities. Ties between ordinary people on both sides of the buffer zone promote mutual understanding and cooperation.”
The ambassador emphasized the role of the UN Secretary-General and his personal envoy in bringing the positions of the parties closer. He also reported that a few days earlier he had discussed the course of the Cyprus settlement with María Ángela Holguín. During the conversation the readiness of the leaders of both communities to overcome disagreements and discuss contentious issues at weekly meetings was noted.
💬 “Moscow stands for the achievement of a comprehensive, viable and fair solution to the Cyprus problem, which must first of all meet the interests of both communities of the island and which only the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots themselves are capable of achieving through constructive dialogue of their leaders under the auspices of the United Nations. Such an approach meets the goals of the Cyprus settlement and the task of ensuring peace, security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region.”
@rusembcy
